1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus for vehicles which is provided to protect a vehicle occupant by instantaneously inflating an airbag at the time of an accident such as a collision of vehicles or automobiles. More particularly, it relates to an airbag apparatus for vehicles, wherein an airbag is installed on a so-called seat belt to be used by the occupant sitting in a seat of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional airbag apparatus for vehicles, such as automobiles, an airbag is inflated instantaneously between the driver and the steering wheel, or between an occupant in the front passenger seat and the instrument panel at the time of an automobile collision to minimize injury to the occupant. This kind of conventional airbag apparatus for vehicles is generally used as an auxiliary apparatus that is supposed to be used together with the seat belt. In addition, the conventional airbag apparatus for vehicles is hardly provided in order to protect an occupant in the rear seat because of the lack of suitable space in the vehicles.
Furthermore, in the conventional airbag apparatus, the airbag for the driver is provided in a vicinity of the steering wheel, and the airbag for the occupant in the front passenger seat is provided in the vicinity of the glove box and the dashboard. If the relative position between the occupant and the vehicle becomes misaligned at the time of a vehicle collision, the inflated airbag cannot securely hold the occupant. Moreover, in the case of the conventional airbag apparatus for vehicles, there is no place for providing the airbag apparatus for protecting the occupant in the rear seat. Therefore, the occupant in the rear seat cannot be protected sufficiently.
Besides, electric trains, trains, airplanes, ships and the like are not provided with an airbag apparatus yet.
Hence, the present invention is intended to provide an airbag apparatus for protecting a vehicle occupant by instantaneously inflating an airbag at the time of an accident such as a collision of vehicles, which airbag apparatus is capable of securely holding and protecting the body of the occupant and reducing injury to the occupant.
The present invention provides an airbag apparatus for vehicles for protecting a vehicle occupant by instantaneously inflating an airbag at the time of an accident, the airbag apparatus comprising:
an airbag inflated by being filled with gas,
the airbag being installed on a seat belt worn by an occupant;
airbag inflating means for jetting gas and filling the airbag therewith; and
an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration,
wherein the airbag is inflated forward and/or sideward of the occupant sitting in a seat.
In accordance with the invention, since the airbag apparatus provided with the airbag capable of instantaneously inflating at the time of an accident such as a vehicle collision to protect the vehicle occupant is installed on a seat belt, the air bag instantaneously inflates at the time of a vehicle accident to securely hold and protect the body of the occupant and minimize injury to the occupant. The airbag apparatus includes the acceleration sensor which detects high acceleration at the time of a vehicle accident such as a vehicle collision, and the airbag apparatus can inflate the airbag. Since the airbag apparatus is installed on the seat belt, impact applied to the occupant by the inflated airbag can be reduced, and the time from the occurrence of a vehicle accident such as a vehicle collision, to the inflation of the airbag can be extended, whereby the operation reliability of the airbag apparatus can be improved. Since the airbag inflates forward of the occupant sitting in a seat, the occupant does not directly make contact with the steering wheel, windshield or front seat disposed forward of the occupant held in the seat at the time of an accident. Therefore, impact applied to the occupant at the time of a vehicle accident or the like can be reduced, and injury to the occupant can thus be reduced.
Furthermore, the present invention provides an airbag apparatus for vehicles, for protecting a vehicle occupant by instantaneously inflating an airbag at the time of an accident, the airbag apparatus comprising:
an airbag inflated by being filled with gas,
the airbag being installed on a seat belt worn by an occupant;
airbag inflating means for jetting gas and filling the airbag therewith; and
an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration,
wherein the airbag is inflated forward of the occupant sitting in a seat, and a direction of the gas jetted from the airbag inflating means is not perpendicular to an imaginary surface including a surface of the seat belt.
In accordance with the invention, the airbag apparatus provided with the airbag capable of instantaneously inflating at the time of an accident such as a vehicle collision to protect the vehicle occupant is installed on the seat belt, and at the time of a vehicle accident the air bag instantaneously inflates to securely hold and protect the body of the occupant, with the result that injury to the occupant can be minimized. Since the airbag apparatus includes the acceleration sensor, the acceleration sensor detects high acceleration at the time of a vehicle accident such as a vehicle collision, and the airbag apparatus can inflate the airbag. Since the airbag apparatus is installed on the seat belt, impact applied to the occupant by the inflating airbag can be reduced, and the time from the occurrence of a vehicle accident such as a vehicle collision, to the inflation of the airbag can be extended, whereby the operation reliability of the airbag apparatus can be improved. Since the airbag inflates forward of the occupant sitting in a seat, and the direction of the gas jetted from the airbag inflating means is not perpendicular to the imaginary surface including the surface of the seat belt, the occupant does not directly make contact with the steering wheel, windshield or front seat disposed forward of the occupant held in the seat at the time of an accident, and a force applied to the occupant at the time of the inflation of the airbag can be decreased. Therefore, impact applied to the occupant at the time of a vehicle accident or the like can be reduced, and injury to the occupant can thus be reduced.
Furthermore, the present invention provides an airbag apparatus for vehicles, for protecting a vehicle occupant by instantaneously inflating an airbag at the time of an accident, the airbag apparatus being installed on a seat belt worn by the occupant, comprising:
one or more inflatable airbags which inflate forward and/or sideward of the occupant sitting in a seat;
airbag inflating means for inflating the airbag(s) when high acceleration occurs at the time of an accident; and
one or more acceleration sensors for detecting acceleration which occurs at the time of an accident,
wherein the airbag inflating means includes a gas generator for jetting gas into the airbag(s) and a processing circuit for processing signals from the one or more acceleration sensors and activating the gas generator when the acceleration arrives at a predetermined value or more, and
the airbag is made of synthetic fiber and is formed so as to be accommodated in a folded condition in an airbag storage member made of a synthetic resin, before inflating, and to be instantaneously inflated by being filled with gas jetted by the gas generator.
In accordance with the invention, since the airbag apparatus provided with the one or more airbags capable of inflating forward and/or sideward of the occupant sitting in a seat is installed on the seat belt worn by the occupant, the one or more airbags are inflated forward and/or sideward of the occupant. Since the airbag apparatus is provided with the acceleration sensor(s) for detecting high acceleration occurring at the time of an accident such as a vehicle collision and the airbag inflating means for inflating the airbag(s), the airbag apparatus can protect the occupant at the time of an accident such as a vehicle collision. Since the airbag apparatus is provided with the one or more acceleration sensors for detecting acceleration occurring at the time of an accident such as a vehicle collision, and the airbag inflating means is also provided with the processing circuit for processing signals from the one or more acceleration sensors and activating the gas generator for jetting gas and filling the gas into the airbag(s) at the time when acceleration arrives at the predetermined value or more, it is possible to protect the occupant against impact which occurs at the time of a vehicle accident. Since the airbag, made of synthetic fiber, is accommodated in the airbag storage member made of a synthetic resin in a folded condition before inflating, and can be instantaneously inflated when the gas generator is activated, impact applied to the occupant at the time of a vehicle accident or the like can be reduced, and injury to the occupant can thus be reduced.
Furthermore, in the invention it is preferable that the airbag apparatus is installed on the seat belt so that a position of the airbag apparatus can be adjusted in a longitudinal direction of the seat belt.
In accordance with the present invention, since the airbag apparatus is installed so that the position of the airbag apparatus can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the seat belt, the position of the airbag can be adjusted properly depending on the size and physique of the occupant, whereby impact applied to the occupant at the time of a vehicle accident or the like can be reduced, and injury to the occupant can thus be reduced.
Furthermore, in the invention it is preferable that the airbag apparatus is installed on a seat belt installed in a seat provided in automobiles, airplanes, buses, ships, trains and human-ridden amusement park facilities.
In accordance with the invention, the airbag apparatus is installed on the seat belt provided on a seat inside automobiles, airplanes, buses, ships, trains and human-ridden amusement park facilities. Therefore, at the time of an accident in such automobiles, airplanes, buses, ships, trains and human-ridden amusement park facilities, impact applied to the occupant can be reduced, and injury to the occupant can thus be reduced.